MOSCOW: February 23, 2008 Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Meets With Metropolitan Laurus and the Hierarchs of the Russian Church Abroad

On February 23, 2008, His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, President of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, met with His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus of Eastern America and New York, President of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

The gathering, held at the Danilovsky Hotel, was also attended by His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany; his Grace Bishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe; His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Manhattan, Vicar of the Eastern American Diocese; His Grace Bishop Agapit of Stuttgart, Vicar of the German Diocese; His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America; the Secretary of Inter-Orthodox Relations of the DECR, Protopriest Nikolai Balashov; and Protopriest Serafim Gan, Personal Secretary of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Thoughts were exchanged in an atmosphere of earnestness and brotherly trust on a wide scope of matters of church life, including such topics as care for the flock of the Russian Church in various regions of the world, including Canada, the US and South America; inter-church and inter-Christian relations; witness of the unchanging values of Orthodox tradition. Also under discussion were a planned event “Days of Russian Spiritual Culture” in Latin America; and developing pilgrimages and theological education.